Pulitzer Winner Fired For Inappropriate Behavior: Free Press

DETROIT, MI – The Pulitzer Prize-winning editor of the Detroit Free Press' editorial page has been fired for inappropriate behavior with female colleagues. An article posted to the Free Press web site said Stephen Henderson, managing director of opinion and commentary, was terminated from the newspaper on Friday.

Gannett, the newspaper's owner released this statement: "Effective today, Stephen Henderson will no longer be employed by the Detroit Free Press. The decision was made after an internal investigation was conducted which uncovered credible allegations that Mr. Henderson’s behavior has been inconsistent with company values and standards.”

Henderson, 47, won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for commentary and the 2014 National Association of Black Journalists' Journalist of the Year Award. The Pulitzer award honored a series of columns "on the financial crisis facing his hometown, written with passion and a stirring sense of place, sparing no one in their critique."

After news of his termination was made public, Henderson told the Detroit News that he was "stunned" by the newspaper's action.

“I dedicated 18 years to this newspaper over three decades, all of it performing at the highest level,” Henderson said. “I may have more to say on this later, but for now, there is much other work to be done here in the city of Detroit.”

In the Free Press article about Henderson's termination, Editor and Vice President Peter Bhatia called Henderson a "magnificent journalist and a treasured colleague who has done so much for Detroit." However, Bhatia noted that the editor's behavior toward colleagues violated company policies and practices.

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Photo: Stephen Henderson, right, of the Detroit Free Press, winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, poses for a photo with Columbia University President Lee Bollinger during the award's ceremony at Columbia University's Low Library, Wednesday, May 28, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)